The weekly sentinel. [volume] (Winston-Salem, N.C.) 1886-1887, 1887-05-05
SOME SPICY READING.

The Opinion of the Wadesboro Intelligent
Ger on the Bagwcl Matter.
The following appeared in the Wadesboro
Inteltigencer of last week. We reproduce
the article for the benefit of those who are
interested in the matter, but we do not
endorse the sentiment contained therein -
1t has now been more than three weeks
since DIR. ). T. BagwelPs card was published
in the Raleigh Christian Advocate, but we
did not read it until last Sunday. Good
Sunday reading it was, truly 1t is an ex-
traordnnary effusion. It shows DR. Bagwell
to be a man of learning of fertile imagina-
ton, and withal a most thoughtful man.
But that is not all it shows. 1t shows how
wonderfully peculiar he is-or was-how,
with satanic piety he stood in the pulpit
and essayed to point the way to Christ,
while in his heart he had no faith in the
christian religion.
"His pretention that he has been con-
verted full of blissful intoxication is too
thin, entirely too thin. Does anybody, who
has read his letter, believe that he would
ever have avowed his unbelief, but for the
Winston episode. No he would have gone
on preaching-would have gone on with his
hollow, shameless mockeries.
"When we FIRST heard of his fall, we
sympathized with him, knowing how weak
may be the flesh, when the spirit is all
right; but we have no patience with the
man who continues, year after year, to
preach the gospel of Christ, when he has no
faith in it himself We have no patience
with hypocrisy, for it is the most inexcu
able of all sins. Mr.. BagwelPs confession
comes too late
"Ah! Doctor, it is just that way yet.
Unbelief is disease of which men 20 not
get cured at revival meetings. The same
old doubts and questionings which haunted
you in Goldsboro haunt you yet, and you
know it.
The reason why you did not quit the
ministry, as any honest man should have
done, was because you held sinecure-it
was bread and meat to you-bread and meat
more easily won than it could be won in any
other way,-with chance now aud then to
hug some of the. sisters, whose religious
habiliments hung as loosely upon them as
upon yourself.
Get out, Doctor, you are infdel !!
You hope by your strong and beautifully
written letter, to edge in a wedge, and grad
ually separate that public opinion which
| has closed around you, till it bursts wide
open, but it viii surprise US if you succeed,
however much you may be admired for your
| intellectual strength.
"Out upon you, Doctor. The man who
year after year, stands up in the pulpit and
essays to point the way to heayen, not be.
lieving word he utters, is never to be trus-
ted, no matter what may be his protestations
A hypocrite once, hypocrite always!
DIR. BagweH was in town this week
indeed he is here now. We did not know
of his presence, however, till Wednesday
afternoon, when it was too late to omit the
above article. Personally, we are sorry fol
the Doctor, and had we known he and ths
above article would meet each other ir
Wadesboro, we would certainly have held il
over till next week. We have not had ths
honor of meeting the Doctor. We have
seen him several times on the street, AND
he moves us to compassion. The poor mar
looks hacked. May be he is sincere wher
he says he has again laid hold on Christ
Anyhow, if the church folks can afford t.
risk him, we reek Oh we can afford to do s,
too"